1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ear piercing devices, and more particularly to hand held ear piercing devices that may be used once and then discarded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in order to pierce a human ear, a sharp object is used to penetrate the ear lobe and then the wound is allowed to heal around an inner post so that the fenestration is maintained. Originally, ear piercing was a minor surgical operation that has since become one of an even more casual nature. Recently, hand held devices for piercing ears have been developed, put into use, and made available to the public. Many of these have several parts, operating in an elaborate manner and are therefore subject to failure or improper operation which frustrates the clean piercing of an ear with minimum time and trouble. Others are of a more simple design and lend themselves even to home use. Of course, when such home use is made of an ear piercing device, it is important that the ear piercing device is easy to use and creates the pierce in a reliable, accurate and sanitary fashion.
In the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show a perspective and side cross-section views of an ear piercer known in the art. This ear piercer was disclosed in Japanese patent application No. 4-214240 filed Nov. 8, 1992.
Several features of the Japanese ear piercer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 bear mention. There are two major portions to the ear piercer: a housing having three channels, and a plunger unit having two arms that fit into two corresponding lower channels in the housing. The third and top channel serves to slidably hold an earring holding cartridge. The earring holding cartridge is held by the housing directly opposed to the backing or nut that serves to hold the earring in place upon the ear. The plunger unit has means by which the nut may be held oppositely opposed the cartridge. When the ear is to be pierced, the lobe is placed between the channeled housing and the plunger unit. Force is then applied as by a human hand to bring the two housing units together. Breakable tabs are present as shown by reference numbers T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 that serve to temporarily obstruct the bringing together of the housing and plunger units. As greater force is applied by the human hand, a build-up of pressure correspondingly develops until frangible tabs T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 can no longer withstand the force applied, abruptly break, releasing the plunger and housing units to rapidly come together. In so doing, the post held in the cartridge is rapidly propelled toward the earring nut. The tip of the post is very sharp, and the pressure applied at its end is so great that it pierces the ear lobe flesh placed between it and the earring nut. The abrupt breaking of the two frangible tabs allow a sufficient force to develop to drive the post through the ear lobe and into the earring nut.
When the post is through the ear and nut, the force of the hand gripping the ear piercer is relaxed and a spring pushes apart the two units so that the ear piercer may release the newly-pierced ear lobe. The earring cartridge C is designed to disassemble upon extraction from the channeled housing. The ear is then free to be washed and sterilized to prevent infection, the earring and nut remaining upon the ear. After piercing, certain sanitary procedures are performed daily to ensure that infection of the healing wound does not occur.
In light of the present invention, discussed and disclosed in detail below, the related hand held ear piercer of FIGS. 1 and 2 has several disadvantages and inefficiencies that are remedied by the present invention. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the related art ear piercer has three channels, requiring the use of additional materials in order to construct the device. Such additional materials increase the cost while not necessarily increasing the effectiveness of the device.
Also, as indicated by reference numbers L.sub.1 and L.sub.2, a latch is present that keeps the two units from separating when urged apart by the spring. This latch requires even more additional material in order to construct the separate extension on the plunger unit holding the hook. At the top of the plunger means, the apparatus used for holding the earring nut in place is capable of holding the nut in place only when held upright. If the Japanese ear piercer is for any reason held upside down, the earring nut tends to fall from the plunger unit, defeating secure piercing of the ear.
The earring cartridge shown in the Japanese ear piercer only holds simple stud-type earrings. No extensions from the earring such as hoops can be accommodated by the Japanese ear piercer. Furthermore, sometimes the earring cartridge remains within the channeled housing when it should not do so. This usually occurs when the attempt to pierce the ear has for some reason failed. When the earring cartridge is not extracted from the channeled housing, it then becomes a difficult task to disengage the entire ear piercer from the ear.
The Japanese ear piercer does not provide much room for insertion of the ear between the housing and the plunger unit. This limits choices as to the location of the pierce. The use of dual frangible tabs is not required, but does add cost and expense. The spring inside Japanese ear piercer is not necessarily held in place by any restraining means other than the channel and has the potential to become misaligned within the channel. The use of dual plungers into the dual channels is an inefficiency that could just as easily and perhaps better be realized through the use of a single plunger and a single channel.
In order to realize a better hand held ear piercer that is reliable, accurate, sanitary and disposable, the Japanese ear piercer has many shortcomings that are better addressed by the present invention.